‘I just haven’t met anyone. I can’t stand the humans because I always have to conceal myself around them, and they always seemed a bit vain and trivial to me—especially the girls.’
‘I can understand it’s hard to hide your real self from them, but what about the girls? Are you against feminism? A Norwegian?’ I said the words playfully.
‘Nah, I have nothing against girls. The guys, on the other hand, understand me better. Being gay or bisexual gives them some perspective—a perspective that pampered teenage girls lack.’
For a moment, the room was absolutely silent. This was Eirik at his most vulnerable, and I was at a loss.
‘I always wanted to ask... If a vampire has sex with a human, is the child going to be human or vampire?’
‘Vampire genes are dominant, so the child is always a vampire. If I married a woman and had a child with her, I would have to tell her.’
‘Are your parents... ?’
‘They’re both vampires, but we have people in our extended family who are human.’
‘That’s so awesome.’
‘Is it?’ He seemed amused. ‘It makes dinner situations a lot more complicated.’
I laughed. Then I turned serious again. ‘And if you married a man, you would still have to tell him eventually, right? He would grow old much faster than you would.’
‘Yeah... I’m not really thinking about that at the moment.’
‘What are you thinking about?’
‘That I will be young for a long, long time in human years. I have plenty of time to find a kjæreste.’
‘It’s such a cool Norwegian word! It can be a boy or a girl. I love the ambiguity,’ I said.
I was trying to cheer him up, really, because he seemed very sad.
‘I don’t want ambiguity, though,’ he continued. ‘I want sex, but I also want... a connection with someone. Living in my own placelets me bring people over or watch porn when I’m bored, but it doesn’t make me happy. Not really.’
I never realised that me and Eirik wanted the same thing. I can feel him next to me—a warm, brooding presence. He’s looking hard at me, and I’m trying not to meet his gaze.
‘Porn? Really? I would never have guessed,’ I joked.
‘How come?’
‘Well, you look like a model. You could have any girl—or guy—you want. You could bite them, and that’s even better.’ I remembered what I felt like when he bit me.
‘Would you believe it if I told you still had some on my PC here?’
I blushed intensely. ‘I wouldn’t—no.’ I always imagined Eirik with someone else: a hot girl maybe, or a muscular guy like him. That way, he was off-limits, just my cool vampire friend. The thought of him doing it alone changed that; it made my imagination go wild.
It made me hard, and jealous in the weirdest way.
Eirik wasn’t bothered by any of this, being Norwegian and quite open about sex. ‘If you want to have some fun together—’
‘Eirik, no. What happened between us in the mountains...’
And there it was: the reason I avoided him, and the reason I broke up with Vilde. The moment she wanted something more than harmless kissing, I would remember Eirik, and how nothing in the world could compare to that.
‘Stays in the mountains? Come on, Peter, tell me what you’re really thinking.’
I took in a deep breath. ‘I’m confused. I want you in a way I don’t want other men, or even many women. And I’m afraid that if I give in, I’ll lose you as a friend, because I might not be able to give you what you want. What you deserve.’
‘I will always like you as a friend, Peter. But I think you should give me—give us—a chance. You might not like it and go back to women, and that’s fine. But if you don’t give yourself a chance, this feeling will always gnaw at you; the feeling that you gave up on something precious.’
He was looking me in the eye, and I couldn’t look away. There was a wildness there, a storm just as violent as the one we survived before. Yet there was also a warm friendship, a comforting reassurance.
I touched his shoulders, wrapping myself next to him. He was still the living furnace I remembered. My eyes followed the hard lines of his jaw, settling on his lips. He was smiling, very faintly.
‘I’m not going to kiss you, Peter. You need to it yourself.’
I leaned in closer, feeling a sort of panic. There was no way I could kiss him. He was—Eirik. My friend. The man who kept me up at night, filling my dreams with warm heat and sharp fang.
I kissed him slowly at first; I enjoyed the sensation. Feeling my courage grow stronger, I kissed him deeper, harder, until I was on top of him. I took off his shirt, savouring the feel of his hot skin against my own.
‘Can I take your clothes off, Peter?’
‘Do you really need to ask?’ I said, breathlessly.
He removed my jumper, then my shirt, and pressed our bodies together. His body heat eliminated the cold, and I felt fantastic. Yet as we continued to kiss, I couldn’t help wanting more.
‘Eirik, will you bite me?’
‘Are you sure? I don’t have to: we’re not surviving in the wild anymore, and—’
‘I’m sure; I really want to.’
He would never have acquiesced so easily, but his own breathing was ragged, and I could feel his cock harden underneath me. The bite, when it came, was just a whisper against my neck. He wasn’t feeding from me this time.
It felt incredible all the same: I was hot and alive and euphoric. I moaned in ecstasy, and he growled with pleasure.
A moment later, he stopped, and the cold returned. He was breathing hard, his eyes pale and hungry—a predator analysing his prey. Then, miraculously, he regained control. He smiled, his lips red with blood. My blood.
‘Did you like it?’ I asked.
‘You taste good.’
‘Let me see,’ I asked. I leaned in, kissing him again, tasting fang and blood. I don’t think blood ever tasted this good.
‘You’re so kinky,’ he said. ‘I never thought you would be.’
‘Yeah, well, I never thought you watched porn. It made me jealous.’
‘Jealous? But why?’
‘Because you were doing it alone and not with me.’
He laughed. ‘That makes sense. Sort of.’
‘I’m glad you bit me—you were so gentle. I thought you would refuse. You’re afraid of biting me, aren’t you?’
‘A little,’ he admitted. ‘But I think I’m getting the hang of it; it helps that I care about you. It would be harder if it were a stranger.’
‘I’m still a little afraid of having sex,’ I admitted honestly.
‘I get it—even I was a bit nervous the first time I had it with a guy. Do you want to come together instead?’
I agreed. He touched me, I touched him, and we came together. This is was a different kind of ecstasy—it did not skirt the edge between life and death. It was ordinary, almost, something I did more than once a week. But when I curled up on top of Eirik—I insisted we didn’t wash off, because I was kinky like that—I realised it wasn’t ordinary at all.
I was with Eirik in his bed; the sun was setting, casting crimson hues across our bodies. As we lay together, watching the sun dip below the mountains, I realised that this was just the beginning. It might not end with us getting married. But who cares?
I was going to give Eirik and me a chance.
Other Books by the Author
The wind of the North whispers a name, and all who hear it are frozen in fear. It is the name of the Necromancer. And it means death...
In the South, Linaera dreams of becoming a healer. A novice at the Academy of Magic, she skips most of her battle magic classes (because who needs battle magic anyway?) When her mentor, Terrin, decides to send her on a quest to the icy North, Linaera will have to learn far more than a simple fire spell to survive the ravenous undead.
Even so, Linaera will have to face greater dangers if she is to prevail. There is
a dark secret hiding in the depths of the North; a secret that will make her stronger—or destroy her.
Magic and adventure beckon in the world of Arachadia. There’s dark humour for the cynics, and a sweet love story for the romantics. If you like stories about mages, bad-tempered ghosts, dragons, elves and thief guilds—you’ve come to the right place.
What readers are saying:
★★★★★ “It truly made me feel like I was seeing everything the characters were seeing; the detail is immaculate.” —Ashley Tomlinson
★★★★★ “Between the intricate plot, unique and fascinating characters, and a story line that held me riveted to the very end... this was one incredible ride.” —Teresa
★★★★★ “The Necromancer is an adventure through an old school fantasy world, and I enjoyed it immensely.” —Jayde Kemsley
BUY NOW on my website.
There are many kinds of monster that walk the Earth. Some are ugly. Others speak beautiful words through forked tongues. But the worst possess the grace of angels, and the hearts of demons...
Upperclassman Conall is rich, impeccably dressed, and set for a prestigious career in the Party hierarchy. He doesn’t lack for anything—except, maybe, love.
When he finds Mark, alone, abandoned and hurt, he doesn’t expect one act of kindness to alter the course of his life forever. For Mark is more than just beautiful; he has the spirit of a warrior, and his heart is divine. He has the power to save Ireland from the tyranny of the Party—or to unleash a monster worse than any mortal man.
Fallen Love is packed full of magical action, futuristic technology, and diverse characters. Readers say they’re “hooked” by an “incredible story” and can’t wait to see where the series goes next. If you like romance that’s dark and funny at the same time, this is the story for you!
What readers have said...
★★★★★ “This was an incredible story and I will be waiting for the next book in the series.” —Teresa, Goodreads Reviewer.
★★★★★ “This book was nothing short of amazing. I loved the characters, the action, it's safe to say I loved everything about this book. I hope to see more in this series because I'm hooked.” —Ashley Tomlinson, Goodreads Reviewer.
★★★★★ “The world-building in this book is superb.” —Rion, Goodreads Reviewer.
Goes on sale in December! Read an excerpt on alexstargazer.com
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About the Author
Alex Stargazer is an author of dark, fantastical tales that snare you in with epic world-building—and keep you reading with funny anecdotes and beautiful love stories. He currently hails from rainy Scotland, but he can be found all over Europe. Since publishing his first novel—the Necromancer—at 14, Alex has released two short stories and an upcoming new novel, named Fallen Love.
When not establishing the finer points of magecraft or the peculiarities of dragons, Alex is working hard on getting a Master’s degree in boring topics like economics. In his spare time, Alex enjoys exploring the wilderness of Scotland—though Austria, Italy and the Nordic countries fascinate him most. If he really needs to blow off some steam, Alex will shoot zombies in his favourite shooter, Left 4 Dead 2.
Alex can be found on Twitter @AlexStargazerWE or on Facebook at Alex Stargazer Writes Books. Don’t forget to follow him on Goodreads, where you can also do other useful stuff like shelve his books and leave him reviews. His website is alexstargazer.com; you can buy all of his books from his Amazon profile.
Table of Contents
The Vampire Eirik ALEX STARGAZER
Copyright A Note On Norwegian Pronunciation
Dedication
Chapter One: Turen
Chapter Two: Snøstorm
Chapter Three: Jakten
Chapter Four: Skitrekket
Chapter Five: Blod
Chapter Six: Nord Lysene
Chapter Seven: Tåke
Chapter Eight: Frelseren
Epilogue: Kjæreste
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Table of Contents
Landmarks
Landmarks
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright page
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Back Matter
The Vampire Eirik Page 7